Man in a blue uniform with gold epaulettes and a blue sash, leaning on a pedestal that holds a stone bust

Portrait of Johannes, Graaf van den Bosch, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies

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What you see

Johannes van den Bosch stands in three-quarter length, body facing us and gaze direct. His right arm rests on a stone pedestal topped by the bust of an older man. He wears a dark blue coat with a gold-embroidered red collar, gold epaulettes, a blue sash edged in orange and an orange waist sash over white trousers.

A red curtain with tassels hangs behind him, and on the right a landscape opens up with a bluish mountain and a long, low building. Light falls on his face, the gold trim and the white trousers, while the background stays dark. Watch for the two decorations on his chest, the sword hilt at his side and the signature on the pedestal.

About Raden Saleh

Raden Saleh was born around 1811 near Semarang, on Java, and was the first Javanese to be trained as a painter in the Western manner: he arrived in Europe in 1829 and lived there for about twenty years. A Romantic painter, he became famous for his dramatic scenes of wild animals and hunts, his Javanese landscapes and his portraits. His painting “The Arrest of Prince Diponegoro” has been part of Indonesia’s national heritage since 2014, and his house in Jakarta, inspired by a German castle, is now a hospital.

All 12 works by Raden Saleh

More by Raden Saleh

The Arcadópolis Museum has 443 public-domain works in 40 rooms, free to explore in 3D in your browser.

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